Fertilizer-distributer.



J. W. LITTLE.

I FERTILIZER DISTRIBUTEB. APPLIGATION FILED SEPT. 11, 1908.

Patented Aug. 24, 1909.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

@X21/mamas J. W. LITTLE.

FERTILIZER DISTRIBUTER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 17, 190s.

Patented Aug. '24, 1909.

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J. W. L'I'TLE. FERTILIZER DI'STRIBUTER.

APPLICATION FILED 35H21?, 190s.

Patented Aug. 24, 1909.

l I lllllhllllllmm .5130i W527i@ J. W. LITTLE. FERTILIZER DISTRIBUTBB.APPLIGATION FILED SEPT. 17, 190s.

Patented Aug. 24, 1909 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

JOSEPH W. LITTLE, OF WEST POINT, MISSISSIPPI.

FERTILIZER-DISTRIBUTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 24, 1909.

Application filed September 17, 1908. Serial No. 453,534.

T o all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOSEPH W. LITTLE, a citizen of the United States,residing at lVest Point, in the county of Clay and State of Mississippi,have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFertilizer-Distributers; and I do declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to an improved fertilizer distributer, and theobject thereof is to provide a simply constructed and efficientapparatus of this character in which damp and wet fertilizer may bereadily distributed, and which may be dumped when desired to preventcorroding of the various parts thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for distributing thefertilizer in two or more rows, said means being adjustable to vary thespace between the rows.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, aswill be more fully described and particularly pointed out in theappended claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinalsection of a distributer constructed in accordance with this invention,and used in connection with a seed planter, Fig. 2 is a horizontallongitudinal section thereof with parts broken out, Fig. 3 is a verticalcross sectional view through the hopper showing the feeding mechanism,Fig. L1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a distributer constructedfor use without a planter, the hopper being shown upset, or thrown backin dotted lines, Fig. 5 is a detail plan view of one of the fertilizerfeeding plates, Fig. 6 is a detail view showing the dropping ordischarging spout in front elevation, Fig. 7 is a horizontal sectionthrough the hopper with the cut-oftl shown in closed position in fulllines and in open position in dotted lines.

In the embodiment illustrated a supporting frame 1 is shown, on which ismounted a seed hopper 2, and a fertilizer hopper 3, the seed hopperbeing similar to that shown in my U. S. Patent No. 838,345, dated Dec.11, 1906, and is provided with the ordinary furrow opener 4, arrangedtherebelow. The fertilizer containing hopper 3 is preferably mounted tobe upset, being hingedly connected with the frame at 5, and having anysuitable locking means as 6, for locking it in operative position. Thishopper 3 is provided with a bottom 7 to support a feed disk or plate 15and permit it to turn thereon, and on which fertilizer is carried in itspassage to the opening 9 formed in said bottom 7.

A cover plate 10 is mounted over the feed wheel and is arranged with oneend thereof inclined preferably toward the left side and is providedwith an opening 10 adapted to be closed by a cut-off valve 11 mounted ona lever 12. A rack 13 is mounted on the frame 1 with which the lever 12is adapted to be engaged to lock it in adjusted position to hold thecut-off valve 11 in either open or closed position, or at any suitablepoint to vary the amount of fertilizer fed through the opening 10 in theplate 10. This inclination of plate 10 causes the fertilizer to flowtoward the opening 10 and prevents it from adhering to the walls of thehopper when nearly empty. This plate 10 rests lightly on the feed wheel15 and is secured to the hopper 3 to hold it in place when said hopperis tilted backward and has a bearing 1S through which the shaft 16passes.

The fertilizer fed through the opening 10 is conveyed by blades 14arranged tangeiltially on the plate or feed wheel 15 to the opening 9,and which are designed to pre vent clogging of the fertilizer in theopening 9, should it become damp or wet. A vertically disposed shaft 16extends into said hopper, and carries on its lower end the bevel gear17, which meshes with a similar gear 19, mounted on a horizontallydisposed shaft 20, through which motion is imparted to said shaft 16. Asprocket wheel 21 is also mounted on the shaft and receives motion froma sprocket chain operated by means hereinafter described.

Agitators as 23 are secured to the shaft 16, and revolve therewithserving to agitate the fertilizer in the hopper and keep it movingtoward the opening 10 at the left of the plate 10, shown clearly inFigs. 1 and il. Any desired numbers of agitators may be mounted withinthe hopper on the shaft 16, four being shown.y Mounted within the hopper8 on the agitators are a plurality of weights or drags as 24, which aredesigned to assist in forcing the fertilizer through the opening 10,each of said drags being intended to pass over the opening and preventclogging thereof should the rtilizer become wet or lumpy.

The lever 12 is preferably connected kwith the cut off 11 by means of anelongated eye or aperture 11 (see Fig. which is designed to permit thevalve or cut-off 11 to pull or draw straight from the lid or coverwithout binding on either side of the opening 10.

A sprocket gear 24 is mounted on the axle 25, which connects the twoground wheels 26 and 27. yThis gear wheel 24 has a clutch member 28 andturns loosely on said shaft. A clutch member 29 is slidably mounted onthe shaft 25, and is rotatable therewith, and is adapted to normallymesh with the clutch member carried by the gear wheel 24. An operatinglever 30 is mounted on. the frame 1 in position to engage the clutchmember 29, and is adapted to be engaged with a rack bar 30', for lockingthe clutch in either of its two extreme positions and connect ordisconnect it from the gear wheel clutch member. A sprocket chain 31passes over the gear 24 and the sprocket 21 mounted on the shaft 20, andon the turningy of the axle caused by the movement of the machine overthe ground motion is imparted to said shaft 20 for operating the shaft16 and the parts connected therewith.

Any suitable means may be provided for regulating the tension of thesprocket chain 31, that shown in the form of a roller 32, mounted on anarm 33, which is adjustable by means of an ordinary set screw and slot,or in any other suitable manner 'for tightening or loosening the chain81, as desired.

From the above description it will be readily seen that when it isdesired to throw the distributing mechanism out of operation the leveris shifted to disconnect the clutch 29 from the clutch member 28 of thegear wheel 24, which permits the shaft to turn within this wheel withoutimparting motion thereto.

It will be obvious that when the ground wheels 27 move forward over theground the clutch member 29 being in engagement with the clutch 28 ofthe gear 24 motion is imparted through the sprocket chain to the shaft20 which causes the bevel gear 19 to operate the gear 17, turning itfrom the left toward the right and imparting a similar motion to thedisk or feed wheel 15 and the agitators 23. The gear also is designed toactuate the mechanism of the planter when used in connection therewith.

A wheel 34 is connected with the front end of the frame 1 by means ofthe swivel joint 35, which is connected with said frame 1 by means oftwo spaced bars as 36, having longitudinally spaced apertures foradjustably securing them to said frame whereby the frame may be raisedor lowered as is desired. Braces` 3T also connect the bars 36 with 'theframe 1, and these braces are pref; erably provided with take up eyesfor k'e'eping the bars 36 in upright position, as they would be likelyotherwise to standout or project forward at the bottom when attemptswere made to change the depths of a shovel or furrow opener to bedescribed. A 'shovel as'38 is mounted at the free end of standard 39secured at its other end to the bottom of the frame 1, and arranged onspring bars 40, are Scrapers or coverers 41, which follow thedistributing or discharge spout of the fertilizer hopper now to bedescribed. Secured to the lower face of the hopper below the opening 9therein is a dischargespout 42, which is preferably providedonits innerface with transversely arranged corrugations 43, designed to assist inbreaking up the clods of the fertilizer passing thereover, and preventits clogging in the spout. This spoutis preferably bifurcated at itslowerend to form spaced `members 44 and 45, adapted to extend onopposite sides of the row of med planted, and each of which is providedwith an adjustable .nozzle as 46, preferably constructed in the shape ofan elbow, as shown in Fig. 6 and held :in position on the members 44and45 by means of set screws,- or any other suitable means. To vary thedistance between the discharge end of these nozzles they may be turnedin either direction according to the space desired to be formedbetweenthem. By the use of this improved discharge spout the fertilizer may bedistributed in tworows between which the seed is planted at any desiredwidth apart and at any desired depth.

If desired the machine may be provided with scraper-s 47 for removingearth kfrom the ground wheels when planting in `wet earth. Thesescrapers 47 are mounted on levers 48 having weights 49 attheir otherends for holding the Scrapers normallyout of contact with the wheels.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction and operation of theinvention'will be readily understood withoutirequiring a more extendedexplanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details ofconstruction may be lresorted t-o without departing from the principleor sacrificing any of the advan tages of this invention as defined inthe appended claim.

I claim as my invention:

In a fertilizer distributer, the combinahorizontally within said hopperand provided with blades or fingers extending tangentially therefrom,agitator arms carried by said shaft, an inclined false bottom arforconnecting said shaft with said ground wheels for operating the former.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing wit- 5 ranged between said agitator arms and said nesses.

feed wheel with an opening therein at its lower edge, depending swingingelements carried by said agitator arms and designed to pass over saidfalse bottom to prevent 10 clogging of the opening therein, and meansJOSEPH IV. LITTLE.

Vitnesses:

A. H. Fox, R. B. DEANEs.

